One Thing You Shouldn't Say to Ace
by Elise the Writing Desk
Summary: Flash forward/Epilogue/New Year's Fic. Sometimes words don't mean anything without actions. Sometimes actions aren't understood without words. That's why, you need to combine both, the best you can. Alice thought she'd learned enough things that shouldn't be done around Ace, but there was one word she shouldn't have said to her mentally-challenged knight. AU. One-shot.


**One Thing You Shouldn't Say to Ace**

_December 31st 2013_  
by Elise the Writing Desk, Characters by QuinRose

_inspired by Second Reproduction by HeteroDoxy_

"I hate you! I want a divorce!"

Ace looked as if his soul was taken away—Alice gasped and clamped her mouth. She didn't mean it...she was just angry...she didn't mean it at all. She didn't want this—she didn't want to end this year like this...she didn't want to welcome the new year without Ace...

~.X.~

Being with Ace was always thrilling—he was always smiling and cheerful, he was always calm, so Alice wouldn't know what's on his mind. Only on some ocassion, he'd be really needy, but most of the time, he was teasing.

Though it made him a professional on his work as an enforcer. Being powerful and unreadable was a great asset—while Alice worked as his inspector. It costed an arm and a leg to teach him manners, but now Ace was the most dependable and powerful enforcer in the law enforcement ministry.

Alice worked right under Peter White, who took his father's place as the Prime Minister. Despite being an inspector, Ace was trusted with a right to control whoever works in the department—and that was why he could get Alice as his inspector.

"Come on, it's going to be new year's eve, stop working inspector." Ace called as he waltzed into her office. She was arranging the case files and deadpanned at Ace.

"And whose fault is it that I'm still working? An enforcer who doesn't clean up after using the files."

"Aww, Princess, that cute pout doesn't change at all. Do you want me to hug you?" Ace teased, smiling as always. Alice blushed and puffed her cheeks.

Of course she didn't change, since she's always stuck with Ace since the tenth grade.

Ace chuckled and took her left hand. "Oh my, that ring is perfect on you...from who is that?"

Alice hummed thoughtfully. "Hmm, where did this thing come from? It's been two years and I just realized that it's there!"

The brunet ruffled her head, and she protested. They got out of the building and Alice had to fix her hair with her fingers. Ace secretly smiled with adoration at her struggle.

"Mr. Pendragon!" they stopped and a police woman, Jamie, came running to them. Alice bit her lower lip, irritated. This Jamie had always been giving a big bounce as she ran—she was trying to bounce her breasts on purpose. They're big, that's why.

She even exaggerated as she caught her breath, fanning her neck suggestively, and then walked so close to Ace that her breasts were pressed on him.

"Mr. Pendragon~ are you going to spend your New Year's Eve alone~?" Jamie asked in a sugar-coated voice.

"Ha ha, of course not~" Ace chuckled. "So what do you want, Jamie?"

"Really? Don't you want to spend it with me~?" Jamie asked with her puppy eyes, pressing her breasts even more. Alice wanted to gag, and yell at her, but hold herself.

She was an inspector. She had to act properly. Sure, Ace was her husband, but this was still in a work environment—she had to endure the urges of murder. It was all because Ace was a powerful enforcer with straight connection to the King of their country, everyone wants to get on his good side, closer if possible.

Ever since the eleventh grade, Ace was always swarmed by girls—to think that he used to be a weirdo who got avoided like plague because Sidney Black told everyone to avoid him.

Though Alice wished Ace would push them away...then again, he never did. He always let those girls jumping to him.

"Heh, thanks for the offer~ But I already have a special someone to spend it with." Ace chuckled and pulled Alice to his side.

Jamie gave her a slight glare, and smirked. "Ooh, Inspector, I didn't see you...you're always so small, huh?"

Alice wondered if she was refering to something else than her height. Yes, Jamie was tall with an hourglass figure and G-cups—she wondered why those cantaloupes hadn't smacked Jamie's face.

"But of course~ My offer is always open, Mr. Pendragon~!" Jamie said again, winking at him and bowed only to show off her bossoms. And daringly, she leaned to his ear to whisper something while pressing her chests harder to his.

"You know what?" Alice said out of getting sick. She forced a perfect smile she had practised for this sickening moments. "I think you can chill here for a while, and I'll take care of those files again."

"Alice?" Ace tried to call, but Jamie was glad to get rid of her, and dragged him off.

~.X.~

"Homina, homina, homina..." Alice chanted in her office, trying to calm herself from rage. It was tough to be with such a suddenly-popular man. She remembered how she got bullied by Sidney's fanclub...and now that she's married with Ace, it seemed that girls only want to take away any guy who's close to her.

"Room for homina?" Alice stopped as Ace's subordinate, Pierce, came in with his usually timid face. "Jamie's so rude...I'm sorry to see that, inspector."

Alice giggled weakly. "Well, it can't be helped." though she wished Ace would just push those girls away—she had to endure it. Ace used to have people avoiding him...maybe that's why he never pushed away anyone.

Pierce voluntarily, without asking, helped her to sort the files. "I wouldn't let inspector feel that way..." he muttered.

Alice flinched a little. That's right...Pierce had a crush on her when he was a shopomore, in the tenth grade, and she was on the eleventh grade. That time, she began to understand her feelings towards Ace, and he found out her secrets.

"Is that so..." Alice giggled, and pulled a chair to help her reach the upper cabinet. If only she was as tall as Jamie, she'd never need to use a chair to help her height.

"Inspector..." Pierce said again, his voice steadier than ever. "If you ever get a divorce, I'll be there to take his place." he said in a very serious, sincere tone.

Alice was frozen for a while, but then just giggled, shaking her head to dismiss his words. "Pierce, you do realize I only let you work under me so you can get used to this job, right?" she said gently, and Pierce sighed in defeat while watching her start to climb the chair.

"Pass those to me." Alice said after climbing to the chair, and Pierce handed the files. She carefully tucked them into the cabinet. "Okay, all done!" she smiled happily, and carelessly tried to get down.

"Oh!" her chair tripped. Pierce came on time and caught her in his arms. Alice gasped, and sighed in relief that she didn't fell onto the floor.

"Thanks, Pierce. That was close, he he." she laughed, and noticed that Pierce was blushing.

"Um...no problem, inspector..." Pierce lowered his gaze shyly. Alice frowned shyly, still feeling guilt on rejecting his confession years ago.

"Oh, I'm sorry~ Did I disturb you guys?" the two jumped, and Alice's eyes widened as she noticed Ace, with his usual smile but his eyes were cold, and murderous on Pierce. "You should've closed the door, ha ha."

"Oh, sorry!" Alice gasped and jumped away from Pierce. "Um...H-Happy New Year, Pierce. I'll see you after holiday." she smiled and abruptly left. Ace waved to his subordinate and took her hand.

The woman glanced at her husband worriedly. Was he angry? No, he was always smiling...he wasn't even worried...Of course. He probably thought she couldn't live without him...why would he worry?

~.X.~

Ace locked their apartment as they arrived. He took off his coat and threw it rashly, not saying anything. Alice stood awkwardly as she watched him unbuttoning his collar a little.

"Ace...?"

"Yes, Princess~?"

Alice knew he was angry...since his voice was overly cheerful, but she had just to ask. "Are you angry? It was just an accident. I fell after putting in the files from the upper cabinet...and Pierce caught me."

"Ah, I'm not angry. Why would I be?" Ace chuckled, and turned on the TV. Alice took a seat, a certain distance from her husband, and they silently watched the news. It was about several cases they had taken care of.

After that, the news was showing about birthrate of the current year—it was a tradition to view several statistics; death and birthrate, to monitor prosperity.

"_Birthrate for 2013 has dropped from 55% to 40%. The government expects this number to increase in 2014 as they had started to promote on having children since August_."

Alice stared down her knees. There was another strange thing; it had been two years since they were married...yet she hadn't gotten pregnant. It was sad, because Ace took her for a checkup, and the doctor said that she's infertile.

But what's strange, was when she had the checkup, the nurse said she's pretty normal. But the result was infertile.

Ace said it was okay, though.

"Hey, Ace..." Alice began. "I'm sorry I can't give you a child."

Ace raised his eyebrows and turned to Alice with a warm smile. "I told you it's okay, right?" he embraced her with one arm, and pulled her closer.

"Yeah, I guess..." Alice said sadly. It was that, she couldn't help but get sad by how the girls at work gossiped about her infertility—how she's useless as a wife, that couldn't give such a great man like Ace a child...how they would've gave him as many child as he wanted...

"Are we going to watch TV to pass the new year?" Alice asked again, he was stroking her hair.

"Who cares?" Ace said this nonchalantly, and Alice began to worry again.

"Are you still mad?" she asked gently. "If it weren't for Pierce, I'd probably break something...so don't be mad at him, Ace."

Ace hummed. "Of course not. He's such a good boy, isn't he? Saving you and all..." he chuckled. "Too bad, he's getting transferred to Cornwall."

Alice raised her eyebrows, surprised. "What? But he's working under me! Why haven't anyone told me first?" she protested. "Pierce is still new, why do they think I want him to work for me? I want him to get used to his work...!"

Her husband scoffed. "He's an adult, he had to get used by himself." he smiled again. "If he's sticking around you, he'll never get used to his work and can't focus on it."

His wife fell silent, and her eyebrows began to furrow.

"It's you, isn't it?" she asked. "You're transferring Pierce."

Ace didn't reply, but he kept smiling calmly. Alice moved from his embrace to face him straightly.

"W-Why...?"

The brunet hummed. "I wonder."

Alice gritted her teeth and began to explain again; "I told you, Pierce just saved me from falling off a chair! It's not what you think—"

"It doesn't have anything to do with that." Ace said, looking away.

The dark blonde narrowed her eyes.

"Liar."

"Heh..." he chuckled. "How can you know it's a lie? You don't have any proof, Alice~" his tone was teasing, and he turned to her again with that cold smile.

Alice stared at his face for a while and frowned deeper.

"I don't have any proof. But how long do you think I've been with you? Tell me if there's anyone who knows you better than I do." she challenged, crossing her arms. "Your smile doesn't reach your eyes when you're seriously angry."

Ace's smile faltered a little, and he didn't respond.

"Tell me what worries you, Ace." Alice demanded.

The man chuckled. "...What I'm worried about? Hah..." he turned away, and sneered, as if she was being ridiculous, trying to end the conversation.

She grabbed his arm. "Don't be like that, Ace! Why don't you tell me the important part!? Why are you avoiding my eyes?"

He stiffened and scowled, something he hadn't done in ears. "Tch..." he gritted his teeth. Suddenly, Ace pushed her away that she hit the arm of their lounge.

"Ugh..." Alice grunted in pain, rubbing the back of her head, and frowned at her husband nervously. He leaned in, gripping her wrists and held her down with an angry scowl.

"Heh...what I'm worried about? What I'm worried about, you ask...!?" Ace chuckled darkly. His crimson irises glinted with anger, and he smirked coldly.

Alice gulped, couldn't look away as he leaned closer that their noses touched. The man began to spoke in a dark, ruthless voice, the voice Alice first heard when he was talking about how he murdered his mother.

"Do I really have to tell you, Princess?" he spat. "You're so defenseless and clueless after all this years, it's pissing me off. The other staff, the Prime Minister, any other men were watching you or talking to you...it's pissing me off, I want to kill them one by one with my bare hands."

Her bestfriend, her first love for years, her needy knight—Ace, it had been years since he was acting this way. Alice thought he'd feel secure now that they're married. But it wasn't fair—he could act like this, and he let those women stick to him as they pleased...And now he wanted to transfer Pierce when he's still needing her guidance.

"All of those bastards...most of all, that goddamn Villiers. He's obviously not moved on yet, but you're always too kind, Alice. Do you know how hard is it for me to endure it? How hard is it from me to not kill that little trash...?" Ace hissed on her face with a very cruel scowl. "I had to endure it for you..."

Alice frowned in utter confusion. "What...?"

Ace scoffed. "Be glad I'm just transferring him. I'd probably kill him if I see him again."

The woman narrowed her eyes.

"_Be glad_!? How can I be glad!? What kind of rubbish is that!"

Ace clenched onto her wrists even tighter, gritting his teeth. "Do you really want to be with him that much!?"

"I told you it wasn't like that!" Alice yelled back. "Listen to me for once!"

"I don't wanna!" Ace whined and pushed her even more. "Why do you always, always, always treat him like your dearest? I'm your husband!"

Alice gritted her teeth in anger. "Grow up! I can't be with someone who can't listen to me! I don't want to be the wife of someone who hurts my friends!"

Ace's eyes widened, but she was on her peak. She only wanted Ace to stop picking on Pierce, but the more she thought about Pierce, the more his words earlier rang in her head, and the more Jamie's sickening voice hit her nerve. She wanted to know what's wrong with Ace, but he was so stubborn that it hurts her head, and she blurted something miserable.

"I hate you! I want a divorce!" she yelled to him.

Ace's face faltered, and his grips on her wrists went limp. Alice's eyes widened.

She clamped her mouth, regretting it as soon as she said it. Pierce's words about getting divorce got over her head...but of course, it was her own mistake for being stubborn and insecure.

She didn't mean it—she wouldn't marry Ace with such a weak resolve, not after what they've gone through together for years. Alice just wanted him to pay attention for once.

"Ah...I..." Alice gritted her teeth, unable to say anything to fix the problem. She split the milk, and she couldn't wipe it right away.

Nervously, she looked up at Ace, to see his face was blank from any emotion.

But when their eyes met, a smirk grew on his face.

"...Let me tell you something interesting, _Princess_." he said, slowly leaning to her ear. Alice shivered in fear at how cold his tone was.

She usually got cheered whenever he had that mischievous smirk—but now that smirk was cold and frightening that she didn't dare to move.

"You're not infertile, Alice...I just don't want a child."

Her eyes were already wide, that she could only responded with a weak; "...What...?"

Ace smiled. "I paid the doctor to fake your check-up result. And for the longest of time, I've drugged you with birth-control pill...that's why you can't have a child after years."

Alice was too shocked that she wasn't afraid to look at Ace in the eyes with horror.

"Why...!?"

Ace chuckled. "Too many people is wasting my time...And if we have a child, I'll have to share you with someone, right?"

She shivered in wrath and fear.

"Just because of that...?"

He scoffed and gripped her wrists tighter than ever that it hurted. "Too bad...now you're going to leave anyway..." he collected her wrists in his big, right palm, and his left fingers began to trail down her clothes.

Alice felt really weak from fear, but then Ace pressed his forehead on hers.

"You can't leave me, Alice...I'll make sure of that..." he smirked and began to rip her clothes easily. Alice gasped as she realized what was going to happen. Ace began to kiss her, trying to aim for her lips, but she tried to look away.

"No! Ace! Don't do this!" she pleaded and struggled.

But Ace wouldn't be the most powerful enforcer if he couldn't hold down a woman. He pressed his body to hers and licked her face, something he'd always do to get what he wanted.

"I'll give you a piece of my mind..." he whispered, and caught her lips.

~.X.~

Ace regretted it so much. He let go of his wife, who lifelessly lied down before him, her face damp from tears. She still sniffed and hiccuped, pained. The brunet clenched his jaw, fixed himself, and his hands reached to help her.

She slapped his hands away.

"...Don't touch me." she hissed, and fixed her clothes on her own.

"Alice..." Ace muttered sadly.

She wouldn't look at him. It felt like that time when everyone avoided him at school—they pretended he didn't exist. He didn't mind that. But it broke him that the woman before her, his first love and the first one who accepted him for who he is...she wouldn't look at him.

Alice stood up and walked to the door silently.

Ace stood up, wanted to stop her—he hated it whenever he saw her back leaving him. The whole world could leave him alone, and he's fine with that...but not her. Anyone, but not Alice. He remembered the first time she walked away from him, and he thought he wouldn't let that happen again, because it was so painful and lonely.

But he did it again.

"I'm not going home tonight." was all she said before closing the door.

The voice of the closing door rang in his head like a hammer. Ace's eyes were wide, and he drowned his face to his palms, groaning.

"Don't..." Ace hissed. "Don't stay away from me..." he pleaded.

~.X.~

Alice felt really nostalgic as she returned to Julius' home. She could've visited Sidney, Peter, Vivaldi, Boris or Pierce, but her feet brought her to her old home. She remembered when she spent summer with Ace, and he looked very happy.

They fought, sometimes...but this one fight, she slipped a deadly bomb.

She knew it was deadly.

Ace was her bestfriend, and she was his first. She remembered way back then, at the motel on the mountains, when they were stuck sharing a room together.

"_Don't tell me to stay away._"

She had promised herself not to leave Ace's side. But just then, she had said the one thing she shouldn't have said to Ace. _Divorce_. _Leaving him_.

On the other hand...he hurt her! They might have been married, but that was obviously rape. She wasn't that nice that she could forgive Ace for hurting her. He said he'd protect her...and he hurt her himself.

Alice dropped herself in the sofa, curling herself. They used to watch movies and play video games there during summer.

How could she fix this?

"Alice...?" the corridor lamp was turned on, and she heard Julius' voice. The man entered with a surprised look as he saw her crying.

He sighed and took a seat beside the curl of his step-sister. Stroking her long hair, he smiled sadly.

"Got into a fight with _him_?" he asked gently. She didn't answer and just let her tears flow.

The man chuckled and sighed. "It's normal to be angry...but don't think too bad of that kid. You know him more than anyone. It's hard for you to control your feelings when you fall in love for the first time. It's not rare if those emotions turned into a rampage."

Alice sighed and wiped her face.

"Y-You're right...I guess this is the first time I fall in love with someone..."

Julius hummed. "I wasn't talking about you, but Ace."

Alice sat up and frowned in confuse. "H-Huh?"

"Why are you so surprised?" Julius frowned at her. "He told me himself, you're his first love...when he was asking my permission." the man glanced away, trying to hide the bitter emotion in his eyes.

Alice sighed and looked down. "But...there are so many better woman out there who wants him. Why'd he fall for a woman like me..." her shoulders slumped.

Julius sighed and rubbed his temple. "Now you're joking...Aren't you the first one to accept him? There aren't many woman who's okay with a man who killed his mother, who can see past his sins. You look at Ace as himself, not what he's done." he hummed.

"...Those other woman only started to look at him when he began to gain success and Sidney let them. Compared to them, you're the only one for him, Alice." he patted her head.

Alice looked dumbfounded and lost in thought, that Julius could only smile weakly.

"You know yourself how Ace was...He'd lived with a trauma—watching his parents caught up in an affair, his mother lashing her depression on him...Ace hadn't been taught normally by his parents. Then Sidney made everyone avoided him for so long that he never learned to make friends. He missed warmth and place to belong—and Ace never knew that."

Alice stared at her step-brother, listening attentively. Julius stroke her head gently.

"And then, he met you—someone who accepts him, who looks past his sins, and love him with all her heart. And he realised, he wasn't perfect, and there wasn't much for him to offer you, to reply such blessing. He knew bad things were going to happen."

Alice tried to grasp it around her head. Ace never learned what to do with someone he loved...Because he was never taught about it—he never felt love in the past. She felt a pang of guilt for saying such cruel things to Ace. It wasn't his fault. It was her fault for not understanding.

Suddenly they heard someone knocked. Julius stood up to peek from the curtain.

"It's him."

Alice bit her lower lip. "I'll...um...go to my room?"

"No, this is bad..." Julius gulped—Ace would be furious on him if he knew Alice was here. They had a secret business way back, concerning his step-sister. "You know what, hide in the kitchen. Don't make a sound."

"O-Okay." Alice nodded and hid in the kitchen, which was close to the living room. Julius went to open the door.

"Jules, did Alice drop by here?" Ace's voice was casual, but they could feel emptiness—no energy in it.

"I don't know, I just arrived. Wanna check her room?"

Ace went in and upstairs to check her room, while Julius returned to the living room. Apparently not finding his wife, Ace came down and went into the living room to stare at Julius.

"She's not there..." he sighed.

"Maybe she will come. Do you need me to say something for her?"

Ace scoffed. "No. I can say sorry on my own." he mumbled to himself. Julius smirked.

"Hm, you got in a fight?"

The brunet deadpanned at him. "She asked me to divorce." he said in a very severe tone, pointing how serious his situation was.

Julius twitched a little, having no idea that his step-sister had said something serious. But seeing Ace seemed lost, he only let out a tired sigh.

"That's why you must let her breathe. You can't tie her up from anything she's doing."

The brunet's shoulders sagged and he looked down with a frown. "Well how am I supposed to know how, or when...? I've never fell in love before, I don't know where to draw the line..."

Alice raised her eyebrows, beginning to understand him even more. She knew that Ace was mentally challenged, but she was surprised by how much mentally challenged he was.

"And so you never told her about that, didn't you? Because you're afraid? Then you just endure it, pile it up until you exploded." Julius hummed. "You know you don't need to be afraid that she'll leave you if you tell her your thoughts...She already know how much of a mentally challenged person you are."

The woman pressed her lips into a smile, not letting a giggle to escape.

"Wow, are you a mind reader, Jules?" Ace sounded impressed like a kid. He could always act like that in front of Alice and Julius.

"You're just an easy-to-read pervert. So what's the problem? Did you get jealous because she's talking to another man again?"

Ace scowled angrily. "No way, this is something more serious...Like, the sum of everything that happens today..." he sounded grim.

Alice raised her eyebrows. So it was really not about Pierce? And Pierce was just in a bad luck because Ace's reached his limit?

Julius hummed and sat leaned his back to the sofa. "Then what is it?"

Ace pressed his lips, looking down in resistance. In front of Alice, he would always acted happy-go-lucky and smiley. What happened earlier was an accidental outburst of his emotion—he could easily acted as his true, dark self with others, because he didn't care about them.

"...I..." he growled, clenching his fists. "...I can't stand it anymore! Why doesn't Alice love me as much as I love her!?" he yelled, venting out at last.

Alice twitched. "...What?" she mouthed voicelessly.

Julius inwardly smiled, thinking that it'd be nice if Alice saw this side of Ace more often. Thinking how it'd be easier for both of them if Ace would stop trying to be her perfect knight all the time.

"Why do you think that?" he asked, confused.

Ace crossed his arms like a little kid. "I don't want my wife talking to another man! She's mine...she's my wife, right? I want her all to myself! Is that wrong!?" he puffed his cheeks.

Ace sounded like a little boy who didn't want to share his toy. Thinking about it, Alice realised, Ace never experienced how being a little boy was—that's why he acted this way despite he's a grown up.

"And what about her? A bitch started hitting on me, and can you believe she just smiled and left us alone?" Ace clenched his fists angrily. Julius bit his lower lip as he watched Ace punching his fists together.

Alice almost fell out of the bar she's hiding—so he did that on purpose, to make her jealous!?

"Hey, Julius...why is it like this!? Did she marry me because she's pitying me? Am I the only one who's in love...?" the brunet asked like a lost puppy.

"Pfht..." Julius looked away. Ace raised his eyebrows.

"Phffft...heh...hahaha...ahahahahaha!" the navy-haired man began to laugh, his body shaking from mirth. Ace twitched and puffed his cheeks angrily.

"Oi, don't laugh you bastard."

Julius gasped and tried to stop laughing. "Pff—sorry...I can't help it...heheh..."

The brunet scowled. "I'm gonna kill you."

"Pfffhh...okay, okay, sorry...you guys are a couple of idiots—perfect for each other. Is this a romantic comedy or what?" Julius sighed from laughing so loud.

Alice twitched as she blushed, thinking of choking her step-brother if he kept laughing.

"This isn't a joke! She said she wants to divorce me, asshole." Ace angrily said.

"What? So you're giving up?" Julius challenged with a smirk.

Ace narrowed his eyes. "No way. Never. I won't give her to anyone else." he said possessively. "Alice is mine. No way in hell I'm letting her go."

The woman in hiding blushed with a shy smile at what her husband said.

"Good. It seems I handed my sister to the right man." Julius chuckled, crossing his arms. "If you're that obsessed with her, then I think she wouldn't have anywhere to hide."

Ace sighed. "I've checked Crims', White's...Airay's...even Black's..." he gritted his teeth. "If I have to check Villiers', I'd probably in jail next year."

Julius sighed. "Fine, fine. I'll try to call her for Villiers' sake, that poor boy."

"Anyway, I'm out. Thanks for the chat, Jules." Ace said this bitterly. "Happy New Year."

"Happy New Year. Hope it's a great year for you." Julius said gently and watched Ace left the house. He checked until his car left the drivepath, and then returned to the room to see Alice was standing there.

"That's what _he_ said." Julius joked.

Alice laughed a little and sighed. "I think...I know what to say now...and I have enough confidence for him."

The navy-haired man raised his eyebrows. "Confidence?"

"W-Well...Ace always smiled and calm...I never really know what he's thinking. I wish I can see him like that more often. Back then, when he was depressed about something, he'd act like that and say it to me...but it never happened again after we're married." Alice rubbed her wrists.

Julius smiled. "When you love someone so much, the more you become insecure...It happens to anyone, woman or man."

Alice smiled as well, in relief. "Yeah...You're right, Jules. I'm glad I came here."

Her step-brother chuckled. "Now, go home and fix your New Year's Eve. You wouldn't want to end and start the year like this, would you?"

Alice grinned. "Never!" she hugged her step-brother. "Thanks, Jules. Happy New Year."

"Yeah..." he patted her head, and escorted her leave. Julius smiled as he watched his step-sister left with lighter steps. He sighed sadly and stared at the starry night sky.

"I wish I can have a Happy New Year..."

~.X.~

Ace sat in their living room, letting a silent sigh. It felt relieving when he talked about it with Julius, but thinking about it again...could he really say and ask all the questions to Alice? Did she love him? Would she stay away from others? Did she ever feel jealous?

Would she...just once, tell him, convince him, that she loved him?

He couldn't ask that. If he asked...she would just tell him because he asked her to. He wouldn't be relieved.

Alice had never once said that he loved him. That bothered him to no end.

She always kept her feelings to herself—he knew that she probably tried to replace those words with actions...but she was always, always, always kind to everyone else—she was always fair, so she never defended him if he's at wrong. She always did her best in anything, she would always help everyone anyway she could.

Of course, Ace loved her kindness...but he wanted her to be his own. At least, he wanted anything—a proof that she's his, something that she didn't give to others—aside than her body, of course...Ace would probably kill anyone who'd seen more of her skin.

He was taken out from his thoughts at the sound of door opening and closing.

Alice peeked into their living room timidly. "H-Hey, Ace..."

Ace smirked calmly. "What? Did you get the divorce letter?"

Even Ace wanted to bang his head to the wall at how easy he said those things! Alice pursed her lips, frowning cutely as she stomped to him. The brunet wondered if she ever realized how his heart fluttered whenever she walked to him—getting close to him.

"Alice..." he raised his eyebrows, surprised.

Even if she's coming up to him with a knife, he felt like opening his arms for her. The world could run away from him and he'll be alright as long as Alice would run to him.

"Oii, quit that act." Alice smacked him across his head.

Ace's eyes widened. How long has it been since the last time she hit him across his head? Ever since he became a powerful enforcer, Alice had to act properly and respected him so much—she couldn't have done that.

"Ow!"

"I found this." Alice pulled out a small note. "I took some notes back in high school; _20 Things You Shouldn't do Around Ace_. And I read it again, then I remembered something."

Ace grinned, excited. "What? You take notes on stuff like that? I had no idea! I wanna read!"

"Yeah, later—or we'll spoil the story. So one of the thing I shouldn't do is..._Don't keep secrets_ from you." Alice huffed. "So I guess we should stop keeping our feelings from each other and get angsty about it. I've decided I'll be more upfront to you."

Her husband blinked, surprised and confused. Alice glanced away, blushing whenever she's going to say something mushy—the tsundere she was.

"You know, I'm your inspector, but you're more powerful than me...And at the same time, I'm your wife...so I thought I have to endure...plus...since you were always avoided back then, I thought you wouldn't push away anyone...and that's why...but still..."

Alice played with her fingers. "Still...I'm sorry okay...but...but I'm soooooo annoyed if you get too close and friendly with those women! Can't you push them away and keep your personal space, you idiot!? I'm your wife, you know!" she yelled, blushing furiously.

Ah, she's sounded so desperate, she's embarassed and wanted to die.

Ace just gaped at her. "Wha...Really?"

"Well duh!" Alice crossed her arms. "I married you because I love you, and I thought that'd make those women go away—but they didn't, and you let them! How can I not be annoyed!?"

Ace's eyes widened in shock at her words. He could just watched his wife getting flustered and complaining in front of him—even after years, this was the first time he saw her being super honest on her feelings. She usually kept them for herself.

And...she said...she said that she...

"Oi?"

The man blinked. "You said...you love me."

Alice glanced away and puffed her cheeks that kept reddening.

"Y-Yeah...I love you and...and I'm jealous when you're with other women."

She felt like crawling into a hole—she wanted to die, it was so embarrassing! Alice looked away, getting ashamed for being so desperate.

But after a while, Ace wasn't saying anything. She bit her lower lip, and then glanced at him, to see him dumbfounded, eyes wide, and for the first time, she saw him faintly blushing.

"Whuat...what...Wow. Huh...Heh..." a grin grew on his face—gleam returned to his eyes, as if he was a little kid who got what he wanted. "Alice loves me...?"

Alice's gaze softened at how his face looked like a little kid, and the words flew naturally, as if they were meant to be said all the time.

"Yeah. I love you, Ace. More than anything or anyone in this world. I wish you can be by my side forever, and I don't want to see you walk away from me."

Ace laughed and suddenly, he threw his arms around her and drowned his face to her hair. Alice blushed, but smiled as she listened him laughing, feeling him shaking, feeling his hot breath—knowing that he's alive, and most of all, knowing that he's happy.

"You won't leave me...?" Ace asked.

Alice giggled. "Remember that time you almost jumped off the school rooftop? You asked the same thing..."

"But what about now?"

"I don't want you to leave me." Alice said sincerely. "I don't want Ace to stay away from me. I want Ace to be by my side all the time." she looked down, beginning to feel embarrassed. "And I don't want anyone else than me to be by your side. And I'm sorry if I'm small and don't have G-cups."

Ace burst out laughing and hugged her, squeezing her. "Aww, but I love your C-cups!"

"H-Hey! Pervert!"

"You're the one who's started it~" Ace kissed her cheek. "I love your everything."

He said it so passionately that Alice couldn't help but hugged him back, surprising her husband, who laughed at her rare boldness.

"So...Ace..." Alice began, murmuring on his shoulder. "How do we spend our New Year's Eve?"

Ace hummed for a while, and clicked his tongue"Can we make babies?"

Alice laughed and hit his ribs. "You perv...always the dirtiest stuff. He he." she looked up at him gently. "Are you okay with that?"

Ace gazed back longingly. "Now that I know you won't left me...and you won't left our child like my father did...I wonder how it'll feel to be a father."

Alice blushed, and she realized, Ace didn't want a child since he was unsure—he didn't want their child to experience bad childhood. She gently hit his ribs again.

"I'm ready whenever you are." she kissed his chest lovingly, and he sighed, embracing her even deeper.

For the coming year, they had a vision to always be true to each other, to express their feelings with words, despite words sometimes couldn't describe the feelings in their vast hearts.

Alice fell into his embrace as the countdown began, and smiled to his bare chest as Ace played with her hair gently, kissing the top of her head. She hummed and kissed his chest, on his heart again. Once more, before the year ended and started before she fell into her dreams, Alice tried to express the gentle, thrilling feelings in her heart.

"Happy New Year, my love."

**Err. Happy New Year guys and...girls. I thought I couldn't get mushier than this. Aaaahh I'm sorry if this is so mushy and you wanna gag. So yeah, this is the flashforward of 20 Things You Shouldn't Do Around Ace. Kindly review if you have the time~! :D**


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